After the fourth week of the 2007 NFL season featured such juicy subplots as Matt Schaub’s first face-off with the Falcons and Daunte Culpepper’s triumphant return to Miami, Week Five served up even more intrigue. Week Five was supposed to be Revenge Week. Old hurts would be redressed, and bad losses would be avenged. In the words of James Brown, “You got to get ready for the big payback.”

Unfortunately, we all know what often happens to the best laid plans of mice and men, and this weekend was no exception. The team hungriest for retribution was the Seattle Seahawks, and few would dispute their claim. The ‘Hawks lost Super Bowl XL to the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a contest where Pittsburgh was the beneficiary of so many questionable calls that they have since been sarcastically referred to as the “Stealers.” In the court of public opinion, the calls were seen as so lopsided that Super Bowl XL will forever be remembered as an extra-large fraud. This past weekend, many felt that a measure of justice would be served with a Seahawks victory. Instead, the ‘Hawks got routed. Shut out, in fact. Their best receiver was carted off the field in the first quarter, and their quarterback was benched in the second half. Pittsburgh’s mean, physical squad slapped the Seahawks around like a kid caught trying to steal a sixer of his step dad’s Iron City. So much for the revenge factor.

At least the Seahawks’ misery had plenty of company. On the other side of the country, their former quarterback was hoping to get a little retribution against the team that so unceremoniously dumped him. Trent Dilfer helped the 2000 Baltimore Ravens win a championship, and was rewarded with his walking papers. Dilfer was very vocal about his disappointment with the decision, and over the years has been openly critical of coach Brian Billick for making the move. His chance to make the coach regret letting him go came this weekend, when Dilfer’s San Francisco 49ers hosted the Ravens. Dilfer spoke before the game of finally forgiving Billick, but he’s only human, and quite obviously wanted to go out Sunday and cram it down Billick’s throat. When Dilfer threw a touchdown strike to receiver Arnaz Battle, he got so fired up it looked like he was about to recite the Biblical verses that Samuel Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction spoke to his victims before murdering them. Alas for Dilfer, that was the only bullet he had in his gun, and the Baltimore defense stifled the 49ers from there on out for a nine to seven victory. Trent may never get another chance to chase the Ravens from his chamber door, but at least now he knows why they chased him away.

The Denver Broncos entered the weekend’s contest with the San Diego Chargers possessed of similar thoughts of vengeance. Last year the division-rival Chargers pulled a rare season sweep, handing Denver two blowout losses en route to a 14-2 campaign. But this year the Chargers stumbled into the Mile High City like a tourist unused to the altitude, gasping for breath after three consecutive losses. New head coach Norv Turner looked befuddled, and the Broncos had a chance to bury the Chargers in a hole deeper than most of the gold mines in the Rocky Mountains. The home team responded by getting utterly demolished, allowing the Chargers to breathe new life into their playoff hopes. Not quite the payback Broncos fans were anticipating.

And then there were the Green Bay Packers. When coach Lovie Smith took control of the Chicago Bears two years ago, one of his first acts was to promise victory over the Pack. He came through in a big way, winning his first three games against them. Smith’s only loss to the cheeseheads came in a meaningless Week Seventeen game last year where the Bears had clinched the division weeks earlier and were resting their starters for the playoffs. This weekend, Green Bay looked to have a perfect chance to settle their score against Smith and the Bears. Chicago was reeling after a 1-3 start that left them looking more like the Keystone Cops than the Monsters of the Midway, while the Pack had rolled to four straight victories on the arm of record-setting quarterback Brett Favre and a stingy defense. The Packers could have built a nearly insurmountable lead in the division with a win, but it was not to be. They dropped the ball by letting Chicago’s ugly offense get going, and journeyman quarterback Brian Griese grabbed Favre's spotlight with a late touchdown pass to win the game. Another dream of retribution squashed by harsh reality.

Of all the people across the league looking for payback this weekend, the only one who found satisfaction was Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, who for years now has harbored resentment about being fired by Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson. In a Monday Night Football shocker, Phillips’ Cowboys pulled out an improbable last minute victory despite six turnovers from quarterback Tony Romo. Perhaps justice isn’t blind after all. At last amends had been made, and Phillips had his revenge. On national television, none the less. Too bad Wilson is too old to even remember Phillips, let alone what he was angry about.

Medford Bronco

10-10-2007, 07:29 PM

Revenge Week Goes Awry

After the fourth week of the 2007 NFL season featured such juicy subplots as Matt Schaub’s first face-off with the Falcons and Daunte Culpepper’s triumphant return to Miami, Week Five served up even more intrigue. Week Five was supposed to be Revenge Week. Old hurts would be redressed, and bad losses would be avenged. In the words of James Brown, “You got to get ready for the big payback.”

Unfortunately, we all know what often happens to the best laid plans of mice and men, and this weekend was no exception. The team hungriest for retribution was the Seattle Seahawks, and few would dispute their claim. The ‘Hawks lost Super Bowl XL to the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a contest where Pittsburgh was the beneficiary of so many questionable calls that they have since been sarcastically referred to as the “Stealers.” In the court of public opinion, the calls were seen as so lopsided that Super Bowl XL will forever be remembered as an extra-large fraud. This past weekend, many felt that a measure of justice would be served with a Seahawks victory. Instead, the ‘Hawks got routed. Shut out, in fact. Their best receiver was carted off the field in the first quarter, and their quarterback was benched in the second half. Pittsburgh’s mean, physical squad slapped the Seahawks around like a kid caught trying to steal a sixer of his step dad’s Iron City. So much for the revenge factor.

At least the Seahawks’ misery had plenty of company. On the other side of the country, their former quarterback was hoping to get a little retribution against the team that so unceremoniously dumped him. Trent Dilfer helped the 2000 Baltimore Ravens win a championship, and was rewarded with his walking papers. Dilfer was very vocal about his disappointment with the decision, and over the years has been openly critical of coach Brian Billick for making the move. His chance to make the coach regret letting him go came this weekend, when Dilfer’s San Francisco 49ers hosted the Ravens. Dilfer spoke before the game of finally forgiving Billick, but he’s only human, and quite obviously wanted to go out Sunday and cram it down Billick’s throat. When Dilfer threw a touchdown strike to receiver Arnaz Battle, he got so fired up it looked like he was about to recite the Biblical verses that Samuel Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction spoke to his victims before murdering them. Alas for Dilfer, that was the only bullet he had in his gun, and the Baltimore defense stifled the 49ers from there on out for a nine to seven victory. Trent may never get another chance to chase the Ravens from his chamber door, but at least now he knows why they chased him away.

The Denver Broncos entered the weekend’s contest with the San Diego Chargers possessed of similar thoughts of vengeance. Last year the division-rival Chargers pulled a rare season sweep, handing Denver two blowout losses en route to a 14-2 campaign. But this year the Chargers stumbled into the Mile High City like a tourist unused to the altitude, gasping for breath after three consecutive losses. New head coach Norv Turner looked befuddled, and the Broncos had a chance to bury the Chargers in a hole deeper than most of the gold mines in the Rocky Mountains. The home team responded by getting utterly demolished, allowing the Chargers to breathe new life into their playoff hopes. Not quite the payback Broncos fans were anticipating.

And then there were the Green Bay Packers. When coach Lovie Smith took control of the Chicago Bears two years ago, one of his first acts was to promise victory over the Pack. He came through in a big way, winning his first three games against them. Smith’s only loss to the cheeseheads came in a meaningless Week Seventeen game last year where the Bears had clinched the division weeks earlier and were resting their starters for the playoffs. This weekend, Green Bay looked to have a perfect chance to settle their score against Smith and the Bears. Chicago was reeling after a 1-3 start that left them looking more like the Keystone Cops than the Monsters of the Midway, while the Pack had rolled to four straight victories on the arm of record-setting quarterback Brett Favre and a stingy defense. The Packers could have built a nearly insurmountable lead in the division with a win, but it was not to be. They dropped the ball by letting Chicago’s ugly offense get going, and journeyman quarterback Brian Griese grabbed Favre's spotlight with a late touchdown pass to win the game. Another dream of retribution squashed by harsh reality.

Of all the people across the league looking for payback this weekend, the only one who found satisfaction was Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, who for years now has harbored resentment about being fired by Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson. In a Monday Night Football shocker, Phillips’ Cowboys pulled out an improbable last minute victory despite six turnovers from quarterback Tony Romo. Perhaps justice isn’t blind after all. At last amends had been made, and Phillips had his revenge. On national television, none the less. Too bad Wilson is too old to even remember Phillips, let alone what he was angry about.

Nice article Dogfish.

The Hawks did not show up at Pitt and we have no comment on our Broncos.

Brett Favre did his impersonation of Rex Grossman in the 3rd QTr up 20-10 throwing that putrid pick that let Chicago back into the game.

Good for Phillips, he was shafted by Buffalo and still till this day is the last coach to get the Bills to the playoffs losing the Music City Miracle many moons ago.